The Commercial Single was released in the UK and France by The Residents' European distributor PRE Records to promote the release of The Commercial Album in 1980.

As well as six tracks from the album, it also includes "Shut Up Shut Up" and "And I Was Alone", which were not included in The Commercial Album as The Residents deemed them "too trendy". Both tracks have since been re-issued on later CD versions of The Commercial Album in addition to other contemporary bonus tracks.